BU Law taking questions

[Bosox]

Its been a while. Here to answer any questions this week.

[jeffreydane]

     What is cost of living like near the law school?

[rolls]

I just got in on Wednesday, but unfortunately missed the call-
A couple of questions:
How would you describe the makeup of your class/ the type (broad, I know) of people you have met there?
What was your procedure for securing financial aid? Apparently this sometimes differs by school.
Thanks! 

[UnbiasedObserver]

When do they normally offer scholarships?  Does it come with the acceptance, or at a later date?

How do you like the faculty and employment opportunities there?

[Bosox]

Cost of living is fairly high because the school is located in the city. Boston has a very high cost of living and what you get for what you pay is very poor compared to some other cities. This is likely caused by the large student population in the city. But we have a good nightlife in boston, and great sports teams. Most students live in the Brighton/Allston area.

Scholarships are usually sent with your acceptance letter. If not, they often send some more money out in March.

Financial aid is done by filling out the Fasfa and any requisite BU documents.

Class is made up of a mix of kids who went straight through and a small population of people who took time off. Some are more into partying than school, while others are more into studying. Just different types of people. I found that a lot of people in my class just kept to themselves or hung out with people they knew outside of school. We aren't the most social of schools, but we have bar reviews. They were pretty lame, so I rarely went, but I know people who went to all the events. I guess it depends who you are and what you like.

Faculty is great. You get a lot of knowledge from your prof. I used supplements a lot for the profs that were more into hiding the ball than actually teaching.

Employment prospects are typical of a school in the 20-30 range (I find all these schools are pretty much the same regarding employment). If you are in the top 10%, you'll get biglaw anywhere. Top third for biglaw in Boston/NYC. Top half for midlaw. Bottom half have problems and have to work on their own to get employment.

I was in the top half but didn't get a shot at BigLaw. I ended up going to a smaller firm, but am happy with it. I have friends that made biglaw in the bottom half, so its kind of a crap shoot if you aren't in the top third, but its definitely possible.

Also, if you want gov work or public interest, BU has some great programs and connections. 

[UnbiasedObserver]

Thank you very much for the info!

Did your friends that landed biglaw from the bottom half have any characteristics that gave them an edge to overcome their class rank, in your opinion? Tech or business background, etc.?

[tebucky]

Hi there and thanks for taking the time to answer questions.  With regards to employment prospects for the bottom half (don't plan on ending up there, but I've been around long enough to know $#!t happens), what sort of positions do they generally end up with?  I'm sure there's a whole gamut of them from biglaw to unemployed, but I was hoping you could elaborate a bit further.  Basically I guess I want to know if a bottom half BU degree is still respected in the New England area, or is it about as worthless as a degree from NESL? 

[Bosox]

Yes. Most of the people who landed biglaw from the bottom of the class had hard science degrees that helped them market themselves to the IP practices. There were only one or two who were able to do this, so I don't think it is very common.

The bottom half of the class at BU still has a BU degree, which in the long run, is probably worth more than a NESL or Suffolk degree. Getting that first job, however, is going to be just as difficult as it would be if you attended one of these schools. BC and Harvard are the only schools that I have found where local firms go deep into the class. Here, you should really have something that sets you apart on your resume if you are in the bottom of the class.

As for what the bottom of the class get for employment, it varies. I have friends at small PI firms, small town DA jobs and a few working retail/waiting tables while they try to land something. One or two buddies are working as research assistants for professors.

[vtjas81]

Cost of living is fairly high because the school is located in the city. Boston has a very high cost of living and what you get for what you pay is very poor compared to some other cities. This is likely caused by the large student population in the city. But we have a good nightlife in boston, and great sports teams. Most students live in the Brighton/Allston area.

I would like to add that if you don't mind a little commute(~45 min) you can live in Malden.  I pay 1050 a month and it close to the Malden T-Station

[UnbiasedObserver]

Thank you again for the responses!